Clothespin



Jan. 3, 1950 w. c. RENNE 2,493,503

CLOTHESPIN Filed March 19, 1947 INVENTOR, ms [FZi/Zf.

Patented Jan. '3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLOTHESPIN William 0. Rome, Kansas City, Mo.

Application March 19, 1947, Serial No. 735,702

2 Claims. (01. 24-137) I My invention relates to improvements in clothespins and consists of novel combination and arrangement of the parts as clearly set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claims.

An object of this invention is to provide a clothespin made of a length of spring material formed to present opposed portions adapted to receive the clothes supporting line therebetween.

Another object is the provision of a clothespin formed of a single length of spring material having two normally parallel clamp portions for receiving a clothesline therebetween, said clamp portions being joined at opposite ends to a common central portion.

A further object is the formation of the clothespin to facilitate the entry of a clothesline therein.

A still further object is the provision of a means tending to equalize the clamping pressure on the clothesline along the length of the clamping members.

Other objects are simplicity and economy of construction, convenience and efficiency of operation, and adaptability for use on clotheslines of various sizes.

With these objects in view as well as other objects which will appear during the course of the specification, reference will-now be had to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of a clothespin embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the clothespin.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the clothespin mounted on a clothesline.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a modified form of the clothespin showing a shortened pin having clamping members of different form.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the clothespin shown in Figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the modified form shown positioned on a clothesline.

Figs. '7 and 8 show a further modified form of the clothespin made of a single strand of wire.

Throughout the several views like reference characters refer to similar parts and the numeral l0 designates a single length of resilient stock such as steel, copper, brass, etc., having sufiicient resiliency to facilitate proper gripping of the clothes positioned on the clothesline. In the preferred form shown in Figures 1 to 3, I0 is a fiat strip of spring metal. Said strip has a central portion I 2 and is bent at its upper end to form a downwardly projecting outer clamp memclamp member I8 normally parallel to and spaced apart from outer clamp member I4 by a distance less than the thickness of a clothesline. The upper end of said inner clamp is rebent to form a spring arm 20 adapted to engage the inner surface of central portion l2 when inner clamp I8 is moved toward said central portion. The lower end of outer clamp I4 is extended beyond the lower end of inner clamp l8 and is curved outwardly to present a tapering passage 22 which facilitates and guides the entry of clothesline 24 between the clamp members.

The clothespin is positioned over clothesline 24 as shown in Figure 3. When the clothesline is clamped between the lower ends of the clamp members, the clamping pressure is at a minimum, since the line contacts clamp l4 adjacent its free end. As the clothesline approaches the middle of the clamps, the clamping pressure increases since the effective lengths of clamping members are then substantially equal.

As the clothesline is pushed to the upper ends of the clamps, the clamping pressure would again decrease were it not for spring arm 20, since pressure is then exerted by the line against the free end of inner clamp l8 where said clamp yields to a minimum pressure. However, as the clothesline approaches the center of the clamps, spring arm 20 is forced against central portion l2. As the clothesline is moved higher between the clamps, the increasing rigidity of outer clamp l4 forces the clothesline against inner clamp l8, this in turn causing clamp [8 to move closer to central portion l2 and to further compress spring arm 20. Thus, as the clothesline is moved upwardly between the clamps, the decreasing pressure exerted on the clothesline by the resilience of inner clamp I8 is supplemented by the simultaneously increasing force exerted by spring arm 20, and thus a substantially constant clamping force is exerted on the clothesline through a substantial portion of the length of the clamp members.

The modified form shown in Figures 4 to 6 is substantially similar in operation and structure to the preferred form, except that spring 20 is omitted, and outer clamp i4 is shortened to decrease the overall length of the clothespin.

In the modified form shown in Figures '7 and 8, length ID of resilient stock comprises an endless loop 26 of spring wire, said p having parallel opposite reaches to form a planar member, said member being bent to provide an inner clamp member 28, central portion 30, connecting portion 32, and outer clamp member 34, substantially parallel to and closely spaced apart from said inner clamp member, said outer clamp extending beyond the lower end of said inner clamp and curved outwardly to provide a tapered opening 36 f0! facilitating the en ry 01 a clothesline between said clamps.

The operation 01. this modified form is substantiallysimilar to that of the flrstmodifled form. except that outer clamp member 34 is lengthened to correspond with outer clamp member [4 of the preferred form.

What I-claim as new and desire to protectlby Letters Patent is:

1. A clothespin comprising a strip of resilient material formed to present a planar loop with one end portion thereof overlapping a portion 'adjacent the opposite endv thereof to form inner and outer clamp member respectively, said clamp members being adapted to receive a clothesline clampingly therebetween, said strip being rebent on itself at the free end or said inner clamp member to form aresilient arm disposed between said inner clamp member and the opposite side of said loop, the free end portion of said arm being adapted to engage the opposite side of said loop whensaid inner clamp member is compressed.

2. A clothespin comprising a single length of resilient material formed to present a planar loop having its end portions overlapped to form inner and outer clamp members, a central portion ap- 30 2,366,822

proximately parallel to said clamp members, and

a cross portion extending transversely between the fixed end or said outer clamp member and being adapted to contact said central portion at a point intermediatethe ends of the overlapping portions of said clamp members when said inner clamp member is compressed.

WILLIAM C. RENNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 186,314 Davis Jan-16,1877 448,822 McGirr Mar. 24, 1891 539,127 Gump May 14, 1895 561,475 Baringer June 2, 1896 1,544,016 Lyman June 20, 1925 Stapleton Jan. 9, 1945 

